kurt Posted December 19, 2015 Report Posted December 19, 2015 Can you imagine the number of lawsuits this would engender in America? I mentioned this, and everyone was amazed. Click to Enlarge 52.44 KB
Marc Posted December 20, 2015 Report Posted December 20, 2015 I get your point but it should be alright as long as the water is deep enough so folks that fall in don't break their necks. Marc
kurt Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Posted December 21, 2015 ...great foto, great design... Huazhong Normal University campus, Wuhan, Wuchang District, Hubei, PRC. My friends are Ming-Qing history professors at the university. We sat in the pavilion on a foggy morning, had a cup of tea, and collectively contemplated the cosmos, and how traditional Chinese architecture concepts work to unify humans and their environment in every way imaginable. The meandering lotus pad walkway is intended to maximize good Qi and confuse bad Qi/spirits that might try to follow us out to the pavilion. It worked. Everyone carries a hot water thermos, everywhere, all the time. I think I'm gonna start.
Les Posted December 21, 2015 Report Posted December 21, 2015 ...great foto, great design... Huazhong Normal University campus, Wuhan, Wuchang District, Hubei, PRC. My friends are Ming-Qing history professors at the university. We sat in the pavilion on a foggy morning, had a cup of tea, and collectively contemplated the cosmos, and how traditional Chinese architecture concepts work to unify humans and their environment in every way imaginable. The meandering lotus pad walkway is intended to maximize good Qi and confuse bad Qi/spirits that might try to follow us out to the pavilion. It worked. Everyone carries a hot water thermos, everywhere, all the time. I think I'm gonna start. Nice to see we don't lose you while you relax! Be safe.
kurt Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Posted December 21, 2015 Thanks. Safe. Such a simple idea, when applied to China, almost makes me burst into guffaws. The university is putting in new water pipes in the tower block. Right in front of our front door is a hole about 4' deep, surrounded by jagged concrete. It's normal to see children playing around the hole. No warnings or barriers. Major construction everywhere, very major, very everywhere. Subways, bridges, highways, mega apartment buildings, mega landscaping....and people walking through it all with shopping bags and children. No one blinks an eye. Today I watched a family traverse a 6 lane major road with a partially built separating wall bristling with 3' rebar on 4" centers...a veritable sea urchin/porcupine of a wall....they bent and crawled through the rebar....with cars speeding past inches from their elbows...and no one blinks an eye. Accurate polling in China is impossible, so if there's accidents, it's not documented, so who knows?. Personal responsibility is the main theme...don't fall in the hole....if you do, it's your fault, not the hole digger. Very un-American. But kind of refreshing. And really ****ing dangerous.
Tom Breslawski Posted December 22, 2015 Report Posted December 22, 2015 Love the design. Can you imagine the number of lawsuits this would engender in America? I mentioned this, and everyone was amazed. Click to Enlarge 52.44 KB
kurt Posted December 23, 2015 Author Report Posted December 23, 2015 Love the design. The afternoon's conversation led me to dig a lot deeper into traditional Chinese architectural design concepts. It's deep. Mathematically proportional, the upturned tips of the "hip" rafters, and the meandering pad path out to the pavilion all have deep cultural roots.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now